Today is election day. So how should we handle it?
Most importantly, be mindful of what helps you and what doesn’t—what gives you peace, and what stresses you out. It will be tempting to watch constant news or scroll social media all day, but I don’t think that will help you feel more peace and less stress. After you have already voted, maybe helped others be able to vote, and the polls have closed, your civic duty is done for the day, so be sure to take care of yourself.
Read a good book, go for a walk, find some colorful leaves to appreciate, work in the yard, spend time in prayer, start/write in a journal about what you’ve felt this year, have a picnic, anything that helps you feel alive or get your thoughts out or just have fun. Remember things like the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
There is also something else important to remember: it is very possible that the 2020 election won’t be over by Wednesday. When it comes to counting every person’s vote, it has never actually been the case that every vote gets counted by the end of election night. In reality, many states take days to receive, count, and report every vote. (Read more about what to expect with voting counting schedules here, here, and here.) We’ve just gotten spoiled with movies on demand, fast food service, and immediate voting results. Especially with Covid-19 making everything difficult, making sure that every vote counts might take a few days. Even then, some campaigns have promised that they will challenge the results in court if they aren’t the winner, which could extend the process and stress a while longer.
So don’t expect immediate results, but breath deep and seek peace during this capstone of a terribly stressful year.
And start making plans for how you will live afterward, no matter which candidates win. Our country has been successfully divided and split up into a fever pitch, so don’t give in to immature worldly divisions. Remember that Jesus came to join people together, “thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (Eph. 2:15-16 ff.).
The days and even weeks ahead might be even more divisive and anger-filled than any time in the last 50 years, no matter which candidates win. People whose candidate loses will be sad, disappointed, and upset—maybe get angry at those who voted differently. People whose candidate wins will feel relieved and vindicated—maybe act condescendingly to those who voted differently. That means no matter who all wins, we might not achieve the healing in our country that we have wanted so badly the past few years. People might become even more polarized than they are now. So let us work to make sure we are living in a way that shows God’s holy love, which is more powerful than any human opinion, party, misinformation, and fear.
When we show God’s love, we show that we respect the dignity of every person, even if they live, think, or vote differently than us. (That usually looks like more listening to feelings, and less explaining what to think.)
So take care of yourself today. Do things that help you. Avoid things that don’t. Be mindful of stress. And at all times, by yourself and with others, “Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).